There have been many different types and kinds of devices for sensing and indicating proper body position as an athletic training aid. For example, reference may be made to the following U.S. Pat. Nos: 4,502,035; 3,206,200; 4,193,065; 4,163,552; 2,191,683; 3,156,211; 3,860,245; and 3,861,688.
These devices share the objectives of indicating body position as an athlete's training aid, but they suffer from certain drawbacks. One drawback of some existing designs is the need for the athlete to visually notice an indicator device. This results in concentration being directed away from the requirements of the athlete's sport, so that the device is difficult to use and prone to give erroneous results. Consequently, it is desirable to have a device that does not require visual attention by the athlete to notice deviations from correct body position.
Some existing devices are relatively bulky. They attach to the athlete's body or clothing, and their bulk interferes with the athlete's body movements. Also, many devices project outwardly from the athlete's body or attach to the person of the athlete in some other way that diverts concentration away from the task at hand, with a resulting uneasiness in the athlete apt to develop. So, it is desirable to have a device that is light, non-bulky, and less obtrusive.
Furthermore, existing devices are often incapable of sensing and indicating small deviations from a correct body joint position while providing real time feedback to the athlete. In sports such as tennis and golf, the precise positioning of various joints in the body (particularly the wrist) is essential to perform in a highly proficient manner. And, consequently, it is desirable to have a device that would feed back to the athlete a real time indication of any deviations from a desired joint position so it could be analyzed by the athlete, who could then correct the body position accordingly. In this manner, the athlete can train to execute the body motions required for a highly proficient performance.
In addition, many devices have been suited for one particular sport only. Thus, it would be desirable to have a device that could be used to monitor joint position and associated body position in various sports, while being relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use without undue interference with the play of the game.
Such a method and apparatus should be useful in monitoring robotic, as well as human body joints. In this regard, the inventive system should also be utilized for monitoring the movement and positioning of joints and other portions of electromechanical robots.
Such an inventive system should also be adapted for use in physical rehabilitation of people who have sustained injuries to muscles and other parts of their body. Such a system should provide little or no interference with the movement of the body joints, and yet the retraining of people in the proper movement of their body joints, is facilitated greatly.